Re: BE MORE SIMPLE!!!!
On Fri, 11 Jun 1999 23:25:14 -0400, "Kristopher Johnson"
<nosleep@atl.mediaone.net> wrote:
>My reaction was to
>the people who are glad that Linux isn't too easy, because they enjoy the
>challenge. Adversity builds character, I guess.
Well said. In addition, the reverse also seems to apply;
point-and-click interfaces suck, because they are too easy. Windows
could learn a lot from Linux in terms of performance, power and
stability, but Linux doesn't even come close to the ease of installation
and use you'll find with Windows. This is not something to be proud of,
or something to blame on (new) users. It would be nice if the people you
mention above realize that the vast majority of computer users in
general are absolutely not interested in learning about operating
systems, file systems, the files in /etc, and so on - they just want to
get a job done, as quickly and easily as possible. There is absolutley
nothing wrong with that.
>If you like to do things the hard way, then fine. But it doesn't really
>mean that you're more intelligent or more knowledgeable than people who
>click a few buttons in a GUI to accomplish the same thing.
Even if it did mean that, so what?
Alan Cooper has written an interesting book about user interface
design (he prefers to call it interaction design). It addresses a lot of
the issues that users have to deal with when operating high-tech
equipment like computers; these issues are universal, and apply to
interacting with Linux as well. A sample chapter is available online at
amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ts/book-excerpt/0672316498/vbtechniques/002-1455712-0642063
It is a really interesting read; it wouldn't hurt if the die-hards
read it ;-)
Gertjan.
--
Gertjan Klein <gklein@xs4all.nl>
The Boot Control home page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gklein/bcpage.html
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